OCD & Anxiety

All in your head?

By Mary McGregor

Most people use the term OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, as an adjective to describe someone who likes to keep their bedroom, locker, workspace, etc., neat and tidy. In reality, that is not even a quarter of what OCD truly is.

Many signs of OCD include the repetition of actions or words and a state of agitation. Many OCD cases include an individual needing to repeat an action to keep them in their right state of mind and continue on with their daily tasks; if said action is not done, then that is all the individual can think about.

To put this into a better perspective, imagine you cannot stand touching a trash can. Although this seems like nothing, or even ridiculous, to others, it is your worst enemy, and the thought of it makes you cringe. Let’s say by accident you do happen to touch a trash can: your thoughts become flooded with all of the trash inside, making you anxious and in need of washing your hands. This is what runs through the minds of individuals with OCD.

OCD is also linked with anxiety and panic attacks, both consuming the mind of someone who suffers from these illnesses. OCD is considered a type of anxiety, but differs from actual anxiety in many ways. Anxiety is a feeling of overwhelming fear and worry about an action or an event. OCD usually has the same symptoms as anxiety, but the actions of one with OCD differ from one with anxiety.

Anxiety spans a wide spectrum, including panic disorders, panic attacks, social anxiety, and general anxiety. Panic attacks occur when your body completely fails you; your heart beats quickly and breathing becomes difficult. A panic attack makes the person having one feel like he or she is dying. The cause of a panic attack puts the person into overdrive and makes him or her become lost and feel as though he or she is drowning and no one can help.

Imagine being strapped down to a bed, not being able to move, speak, or see; you would feel lost, right? Almost helpless. This is exactly what a panic attack feels like, except your heart races and your brain completely fails you when it comes to thinking rationally. On top of that, imagine this happening for 10 minutes, or even an hour. Do you think you could do it? People who suffer from panic attacks do not have a choice, no matter how much they wish that they do.

Another form of anxiety is social anxiety. Social anxiety is when someone feels discomfort socializing or even fears it. Most people who suffer from this feel more comfortable alone; their own company is enough for them. This may be seen by others as weird or abnormal but, once again, they do not know what happens everyday when they are forced to do the one thing they fear the most: communicate.

Picture this: if you had a deadly fear of spiders or snakes, what if you were forced to hold one every day? Do you think you could do it? Again, people who suffer from social anxiety do not have a choice.

The issue with understanding these mental illnesses is just that: they are mental, not physical, and this makes it very hard, if not impossible, for others to understand what the suffering feels like. This is why I described all these cases with something anyone can relate to; the scenarios make it a little bit easier to see what it would feel like to suffer from such illnesses.

One thing I run into the most when someone has a mental illness is a second person, who has no clue what they go through on a daily basis, telling them to “Just stop.” I think it’s one of the most unintelligent things anyone can say. Why would anyone want to wash their hand 5 times in 20 minutes? Or have moments where they aren’t even sure what is happening around them, their brain and body becoming detached from one another? Why would anyone choose to be seen as different?

The answer is they don’t. All people who suffer from mental illnesses just wish for the illness to stop existing. They do not want to wash their hands all the time; their brain tells them they have to. They do not want to stutter every time someone asks them a question; their brain doesn’t allow them to speak normally. They do not want to get lost from themselves every time they see blood or needles; their brain gives them no choice.